Resilient vehicle-tire.



J. T. CLARK.

RESILIENT VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED 11011.18, 1912.

1,072,700. Patented sepii. 9, 1913.

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coLuMBlA PLANDGRAPH co.. WAsHxNa-roN, D. c.

J. T. CLARK. RESILIENT VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 1a. 1912.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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WTNESSES.-

J. T. CLARK.

RBSILIENT VEHICLE TIRE..

A-PPLIOATION FILED NOV. 18, 1912.- n n Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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Ff@ e WITNESSES:

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cuLuMBlA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. C.

-radial line through the same.

' :form r. CLARK, or PRovo, UTAH.

REsrnInNr VEHICLE-Tran.

l Specication of Letters Patent. I

Patented sept. 9,1913.

Application mea November 18,1912. serial No. '732,178.1

To aZZw/wm t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN T. CLARK, a citizen ofthek United States, residing at Provo, in the county of Utah and Stateof Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ResilientVehicle-Tires, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vehicle tires and has for its object to providea tire which? may be expanded by mechanical means to provide resiliencytherein similar to the pneumatic tires now in use, and to provide a tirewhich will not collapse if punctured and in which the resiliency of thetire may be changed to suit the load carried von the vehicle. Theseobjects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which similar letters of reference indicate like partsthroughout the several figures, and as described in the specificationsforming a part of this application and specifically pointed yout in theappended claims. y

The preferred form of myy invention is shown in the drawingsin which-Figure 1 is a transverse section on a radial line through the casingtensioning means vwith the wrench in place and before the outer casingis tightened.` Fig. 2 is' a vertical section on the same line after thecasing has been tightened and the wrench removed. y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary lview of a portion of one of the channelsshowinga section on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa fragmentary view Vof asection of'my tire on line 'x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a rearV end,partial side elevation and front end viewY of the internally threadedsleeve nuts used on'the turnbuckles. Fig. Gis an elevation of the springband. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on a radial line `through the casingtightening means. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary View of one of the channelbands with thetensioning means removed.- Fig. 9 is a section on a Fig.10 is an enlarged view of `the locking cap-nut. Fig. 11 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 12 is an elevation of one of the tensioningbands with a portion shownnot secured in place. Fig. 13 is a section onthe lline .e-e

of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a fragmentary .viewy of the casing on a`circumferential plane through the turn-buckles and looking to- Ywardthe axis of the wheel showing the slit- 4tededges of the casing. Fig. 15is a view in lperspective of one of the` shafts tov be mounted in thev'opening shown in F ig.`9.

My tire consists of an outer casing 1 within which an endless springvband 2 is secured. Said casing 1 has the edges thereof formed as a-lugor rib 3 thereon. The lug portion of 'said casing has transverse slits40 cut therein and without the tubular form,

in order that the tensioning means which l luse may be'inserted withinsaid casing.

also an outwardly extended flange7 curved angles to the axis of saidband .and a flange 9 on the other edge thereof curvedfro'mthe plane ofsaid band. l

Within the opposing side face 'of eachof l.

the anges 6 and 8 areprovided square recesses 10 and in the center ofeach' recess 10*y a square opening 1'1 is cut. The recess v"and" gopeningin each of said'flan'ges'is ink aline-l kment with the recess andlopening of the opposing flange. VSeated within eachv of saidv recesses10 isl an internallyl threaded Vsleeve'14vhaving a .portion thereofformed N to fit withinsaid recess 10, andv anothery lportion extendingthrough the opening-11 and engaging in a" tubulanbuer12fto behereinafter explained.' -Between 4said yflanges 6 and 8 are provided anumber ofv spur-gears 13 each of said gears being fastened on aturn-buckle 41 havingright and left threads on' each which engage withAthe threads in said sleeve 14, the purpose being to provide aturn-buckle vfor enlarging the space between said fianges and to.supply, by means of the gear 13, a means of rotating the turn-buckleswithin the threaded sleeves.

of said channels 17 engages theY lugs `3 on` i the edge of said outercasing. Said annular bands 15 and 16 have alined openings Concentricallyplaced within` said bands 4 and 5 arel two annular bands ,15 and 16Veach of which has a channel 17 `formed in .the peripheric face thereofwiththerethrough, within which openings are placed the threaded lboltsv18. The ,opening v19 inVv one of said bands extends' entirely throughthe band and is not threaded, while 65 Within said casing `1 are placed,spaced` 7 apart, metal bands 4 and 5. Said band 4l has kan outwardlyextended flange 6 thereon at right angles to the axis of said band andVits respective alined opening 2O in the other band is tapped out andthreaded. SaidV bands 15 and 16 are drawn together by the screwing in ofsaid bolts 18and thereby binding said casing 1 in the tubular. formshown in F ig. 1. The inner annular face of said band 15 has an annularrecessed channel A21 cut therein, with onel side removed, to receive theannular flange 22 which is integrally formed on said band- 16. Vhen saidbands 15 and 16 are drawn together by the bolts 18 and the iange 22 isthe teethof said gear 13. Said shaft 24 has theV outer end vmade insquare orheXagon shape and onwhich is made toioperate a crank wrench 27,by means of which said pinion 26 and shaft 24 may be rotated. The

outerfaces of said annular bands 15 and,16

contiguous said openings 23 are cut out to form a recess 28 to receivethe end of -said crank wrench 27 when the wrench is in use.

YSaid, recess 28 is preferably made inVV circular forni, lexcept alt onepoint Where it is extended beyond the circumference ol24 said circle-tocutV a,V locking channel 30 in the wall of said annular band, whichchannel is in L-shape. Y A locking cap 29Yis made jto seat` within saidrecess 28 and to engage the square end of said shaft 24 and each of saidcaps has an extended lug 25 which seats within the lockingchannel 30 tohold said caps in place.y Within said casing 1 and engaged bythe freeyends of said sleeves 14, are two hollow buffer bands 12k placedparallel with said bands 4 and 5. The periph` ery of eachfof said bufferbands extends beyontd the said gear wheels 13 to prevent said springband 2 from contacting with said gear wheels when under excessive loadsand radial compression. rlhe said springband 2 has the edges thereof cutin parallel waved lines, with uniform convolutions. Said spring band iscovered with a wrapping of rubber coated fibrous material 42 whichclosely conforms to and contacts with the edges of said band, and whensaid coatingY 42 is cemented to a layer of rubberized fabric 43, it willprevent any tendency of said band 2.to creep. A flexible band 44 made ofsoft rubber, or other exible and resilient material is placed betweensaid fabric 43 and said band 2 to ll the space between the innerperipheral face of said casing 1 and said band.

Other alined open-V The assemblingand operation of my tire isy 'asfollows 'Said bands 4 vand 5v may be eachass'embled, if segregated asshown in Fig. 12, by bolting the segments together Y to form a circle,by means of bolts 45 being screwedth'rough the said bands and a bracepiece 46, which laps the meeting ends of said segments. -v Theassembling may be within orl without. the tubular cavity of said casing.The threaded sleeves 14 are screwed upon said turn-buckle41, and saidturn-bucklesV are placed in position within the gears 13 and betweensaid flanges G and 8 and with the sleeves 14 within the recesses 10 andholes 11, and engaging in the said hollow buffer bands 12. The saidpinions 26 are slidably `fitted on the squared vportion ot said shafts24 and the cylindrical end of said shafts placed within the openings l23in the band, 15. The said annular bands 15 and 16, engaging the lugs 8on the edges of said casing, are next drawn into position concentricallywithin said bands 4 and 5 by screwing the bolts 18 through .the band 16and into the threaded openings 20 in said band 15. When the said bolts18 are screwed up, the said flange 22 will engage in space Vbetween thesaid flanges 7 and 9, and

cause the said casing to assume the Vform showninv Fig. 2. When saidbands 4 and 5 are held in this position by said turnbuclles I am able tosecure, by mechanical means, a resiliency in the tire similar to thataccomplished with an air inflated tire. A reverse movement of saidturn-buckles and their connected elements will decrease the spacebetween the flanges 7 and 9, andcause the casing to assume i theposition shown in Fig. 1. `To lock said turn-buckles, and in order thatmy tire may have a smooth, neatY side face, I provide a locking cap-nut29 which engages the head of said shaft`24 and has a radially extendedlug 25 thereon which enters the vertical portion of the L-shaped lockingchannel 30, and by al slight backward turn of said cap-nut 29 and theshaft 24, the said cap-nut is locked against unintentional removal b-ymeans of the said lug engaging the lateral portion of said channel 30.Said cap-nuts 29 may be given said backward turn by means of recesses inthe face thereof, as shown in dotted llines in Fig. 10. A recess maybeprovided forl the head or' the bolts 18 and a closure cap i-or saidrecess may be fitted therein similar to the ones used over the shaft 24eif desired. The iiange 22 and that portion of said band 16 in alinementtherewith may be severed from said band and used in thev same place andfor the same purposes as though integral with said band as shown.

Having thus described my invention I desire'to secure byLetters Patentand claim: l. A resilient tire for vehicles consisting of an'outertubular casing; a spring band within said casing; two channel bandsadjustably spaced apartand held concentrically within said spring bandby said casing, and provided in their adjacent faces with alined squareopenings; internally threaded sleeve-nuts in said openings, thesleeve-nuts in one band having right, and those in the other bandhavingleft hand threads; turn-buckles threaded to engage saidsleeve-nuts and adapted when rotated to adjust the space between saidchannel bands; a `spur gear carried on each turnbuckle; and means tohold the edges oit' said outer casing in alined relation t0 each othen'said meansconsistingof two annular bands;

and means to rotate said turn-buckles and'- thereby to adjust the spacebetween said channel bands; said `means consisting o shafts mounted Vinsaid annular bands; a pinion on each of said shafts,the teeth of whichmesh with the teethof the spur gear; and means t0 rotate said shaft.y

2. A resilient tire for vehicles consisting of a tubularr casing; aspring band within said casing; two channel bands adjustably spacedapart and concentrically held within said spring band by said casing andprovided in their adjacent Jfaces with alined square openings;internally threaded sleeves in said openings, the sleeves in one bandhaving right, and those in the other band having left hand threads;tubular buffer bands eoncejntrically held within said channel bands byengagement with said sleeves; turnV buckles threaded to engage saidsleeves and adapted when rotated to adjust the space be tween saidchannel bands; and means to adjust yand hold the edges of said 'casingin fixed relation to said spring band.

In testimony whereof I havekaiiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

' W. R. WILLIAMS.

- Copies lof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner olfl Patents.

' Washington, D. C.

